Law enforcement were looking for Gypsum man before he crashed his pickup into train

By ALEXANDER SIMONE

Staff writer

A Gypsum man who died after being thrown from his vehicle in an accident last week was believed to be experiencing medical complications prior to the accident, Kansas state trooper Craig Davis said.

Ronald L. Myhre, 50, was southbound on K-15 from Dickinson County when the accident occurred. He was well south of K-4 which would take him to Gypsum.

“That was another thing that led us to believe his medical condition contributed,” Davis said. “He was way past where he should have been going.”

Myhre died after crashing his pickup into a westbound train at 7:01 p.m. Thursday at Durham, according to Kansas Highway Patrol’s report.

Law enforcement was already trying to find him because Myhre was reported missing by his wife, Davis said.

“It was just a super tragic deal, which all fatalities are,” he said.

The impact was so intense that the truck caught fire and became engulfed after the collision, Hillsboro fire chief Ben Steketee said.

“I think it was from the impact,” he said. “It was a really hard impact. Typically vehicles don’t catch on fire. Technology is such anymore that the way vehicles are built, it’s not as common as it used to be.”

Myhre, who was not wearing a seatbelt, drove a 2003 Ford F-150 through the crossing guard, colliding with the train. He was thrown from the vehicle and died at the scene. The crushed truck was dragged 50 yards west.

KHP, Marion County sherrif’s deputies, multiple ambulances, Hillsboro Fire Department, and Marion County Emergency Management responded.